Subject: SHIVERCITY GAZETTE
03/08/06 WEDNESDAY
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Todays Gazette is being brought to you, in part, by Grafton's
Coast-to-Coast Store. Harold Sem, Manager
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The current temperature is 32 degrees.
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 35/29
Normal H/L temp for this date is 30/13
Jaryl Strong was presented the Eagle Scout award in 1971. He is
the son of Mr. & Mrs. Daryl Strong.
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"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
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Yesterday as I was driving down 5th street I noticed a couple
members of the street department in front of the arena. They were busy
opening storm drains for the spring snow melt water.
It reminded me of a spring day 46 years ago. As I walked into the
city shed for work that morning. Eldrige Sandvig met me at the door and
said, "we gotta get the drain in front of the arena opened first thing
this morning. Eldrige headed for the back room to "fire-up" the steamer
and the old International cub tractor that pulled it. Elmer Sondeland
said he would get the old Ford dump truck out, if I would grab the
shovels, picks and bars and Nels Hanson went out to warm up the Fordson
loader tractor and he would clean the snow off of the curbs drains.
After everything was warmed up and ready we headed down Prospect
Ave. to the arena. Eldrige in front with the steamer, Elmer and me in
the truck, and Nels behind us on the Fordson. Eldrige turned the corner
on fifth street and pulled up against the curb almost in front of Arnold
Narvesons house. Elmer stopped behind him, as did Nels. We all went into
the Eastside Grocery and had Lux Johnson cut us a one inch chunk of
summer sausage, we grabbed a snicker candy bar and a Pepsi and were off
again to the arena. (Our lunch for the day)
Went we got there, the entire intersection was under water and the
drain was covered with snow and ice. Elmer got out of the truck and
stuck a shovel on the spot where the drain was, Nels moved the snow, we
all picked and shovelled the remaining ice and snow away from the drain
and Eldrige started steaming out the drain.
As I remember it. We pushed over 75 feet of steam hose down that
drain before it finally opened. We repeated that process numerous times
throughout the day on as many storm drains. It was almost 6:30 pm and we
were getting ready to quit for the day when Rilie Morgan pulled up and
asked if we could open the drain on his corner before the water started
running into his basement. At the time he lived on the corner of Hill
Ave. and 10th street. (the present site of the Baptist church.
Nels went ahead, and cleaned as much of the snow away as the
little Fordson could move and once again, Elmer walked right up to the
area where the drain "should be" and stuck a shovel in the spot. Eldrige
kicked up the heat on the steamer and we started pushing steam hose down
Rilies drain. We had shoved all but a few feet of steam hose down that
drain before it started taking water.
It was shortly after 9:00 that night when we pulled the door shut
on the city shed. I learned an awful lot that day, working with the men
that keep "our" city functioning. I'm guessing, if you've never
spent 14 hours standing in water and ice, pushing hot steam hose thru
frozen drain pipe. You might have trouble understanding how I feel, or
what I mean.
The Readers Digest Version is. I learned to respect, and to hold
the people that devote their lives to making my life easier in the city
of Grafton, in the highest regards.
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I received the following note from Kathee a few days ago. She
wrote;
I had my sister Sara (Carlson) Thronsedt over for a birthday lunch
last Saturday. We recalled the 1966 storm because it put a huge drift
over her March 3rd, 17th birthday. We lived at the corner of Manvel and
14th Street, and Dad went off the road trying to make the turn off of
Hill Ave. on his way home from Reyleck's. His car was stuck there for
the duration of the storm, but he was able to get it out and going
sooner from that spot than if he had gotten home to our driveway. There
was a furniture store truck stuck on 14th Street outside our back door
that kept our street from being plowed for a while until it could be
moved. It was a grand adventure--at least from my vantage point of being
snowbound at home.
Kathee <<< Thanks for caring and sharing Kathee.
++++++++++++
Tom Kutz sent the following note regarding another, more powerful
storm.
Tom wrote; >>> Hi Gary,
I have attached a copy of the Grand Forks Herald of March 18,
1941. It describes the terrible storm that took 72 lives. The
paper is a reprint from a 100 year anniversary edition of the
herald. I thought that you might enjoy reading it and maybe it will
stir some discussion from your readers.
Tom <<< Thanks a million Tom. Unfortunately I can't open such
gigantic files in my "mini system". I think, I can forward them though,
if someone is interested I'd be happy to try anyway.
+++++++++++
Bert Overland sent the following "memories" of the 1941 storm
event.
Odd no one has mentioned the march "41" winter storm, It was the
worst KILLER storm we ever had. It hit at about 7:00 PM. I was on the
way to a movie with my older brothers Edwin & Orville, we were two (2)
blocks south of our house on Wakeman avenue when we heard and saw it
roaring up Wakeman. I would not have made it the two blocks home without
them taking my hand the wind and blinding snow was so bad. The storm
lasted, I think, almost three days with cold temperatures and winds at
60 to 70 MPH. We heard the transformers by the Desoto Creamery, across
the street explode, when the wires shorted out and came down. Many
people froze to death. Everyone in the Heuchert family from St. Thomas
were found frozen in the ditch. The children, covered by their
folks open coats, a short way from their farm, all died but the
youngest son Carl who stayed home with the Grand mother. The day
after when we were delivering papers on the east side they were digging
out a body in front of Almer Bjerke's house. There was no weather
warning so this sudden storm caught many people by surprise and many
people froze to death. My Uncle Charlie Freeman ran a rope from the
house to the barn, as did many others, to do the necessary chores
like milking and feeding.
This storm came in after a very warm March day and the snow and Ice
was melting drastically. I remember my dad saying at supper how some
thing odd was happening because the house was creaking, yet there was
no wind at all.
Best regards and thanks for the Gazette. Bert <<< Thanks a
million Bert, for caring and sharing. It's musing's such as yours that
gives value to the Gazette.
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Please help me welcome Lori Fingarson to the Gazette family
tree. It's great to have another "participant" from the Edinburg area.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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The Gazette works best, when the folks the read it, write it. Or
so it seems to me.
Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are,
before it's too late.
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